A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower by Kenneth Henshall Page A

Kantregion (unrelated to the earlier Hj). Hideyoshi rewarded Ieyasu with territory taken from the Hj, but, still concerned about his loyalty, obliged him to take up this territory at the expense of his existing territory. Ieyasu had little choice but to agree. However, instead of moving into the Hj’s former base at Odawara, he chose instead the little fishing village of Edo, which was more centrally located within the territory. This obscure little village was later to become one of the world’s largest cities and major economic capitals, Tky.
    Over the next few years Ieyasu consolidated his huge holdings, which in effect comprised all the KantPlain. Among other things he built Edo Castle, which was later to form the foundations for the Imperial Palace. He was acknowledged by many
daimy
as their overlord, and felt strong enough to break his promise to the dying Hideyoshi to safeguard Hideyoshi’s infant heir Hideyori. Having triumphed at Sekigahara in 1600 he was effectively the greatest power in the land.
    To legitimise his position, in 1603 Ieyasu received the title of shgun – unused since 1588 – from Emperor Go-Yzei (r.1586–1611). He was now 61 years old. In the manner of earlier emperors and shguns, just two years later he resigned in favour of his son Hidetada (1579–1632). Though Hidetada was no infant, Ieyasu himself continued to wield actual power. By this early abdication Ieyasu helped ensure the continuity of his line – a continuity further helped by Hidetada’s own similar abdication in 1523.
    Hideyori was still a potential threat. It took Ieyasu some years, but in 1615 he finally managed to destroy Hideyori’s base at Osaka Castle. Still only 22, Hideyori committed suicide when defeat was imminent. His captured 7-year-old son Kunimatsu was executed by beheading.
    The same year of 1615, Ieyasu also issued sets of laws to control both the court and the military houses. Though the court had legitimised Ieyasu’s own position and he treated it with some respect, he made it clear that its authority was merely formal and ceremonial. It was made subject to the control of the shgunate, which reserved the right to approve all court appointments. Military houses were controlled by the enforcement of the status quo, down to fine detail. 1 They were required to ensure that:
• no person should take up residence in a new domain;
• all criminals should be expelled;
• all marriages involving
daimy
should have shgunal approval;
• no new castles were to be built at all, and even repairs to existing ones should have shgunal approval;
• innovations being planned or factional conspiracies being formed in neighbouring domains should be reported immediately;
•
daimy
processions should include given numbers of retainers matching the
daimy’
s rank;
•
daimy
should follow specific dress codes;
• unranked persons should not ride in palanquins.
     
    Ieyasu clearly believed that enforced stability and orthodoxy were important to continued control. Change was undesirable because it was hard to predict. Mobility was a threat. The more people acted in a settled and prescribed manner, the less of a threat they posed. Failure to act as expected was even punishable by death. Ieyasu is said to have defined ‘rude behaviour’ – for which a samurai could lop off the miscreant’s head – as ‘acting in an other-than-expected manner’. 2
    Ieyasu died of illness the following year, 1616, and was deified as the manifestation of the Buddha of Healing. How much he had healed the nation was a matter of some debate, but he had certainly helped keep it unified.
    His policy of orthodoxy and stability was pursued by his son Hidetada and most of his successors, all of whom were Tokugawa. In many cases it was possible simply to build on policies already put in place by Hideyoshi.
    The regulations for military families were soon followed by regulations for other classes. These prescribed not only such matters as type and